Ultimate Knit Stitch Bible

By Collins & Brown

This jam-packed stitch bible begins with a guide to the best tools and equipment, detailed instructions on how to knit, and information on reading stitch diagrams and understanding knitting abbreviations.

The stitches are divided into five sections. The first section introduces basic combinations of knit and purl. These two basic stitches can be configured into patterns and constructed into all kinds of fabrics. The second section features cable and aran stiches. These are characterized by a large central panel bordered by varying numbers of side panels on a textural background.

For the beginner knitter, lace knitting may seem daunting as it requires a little more technique. However, the sense of accomplishing a simple eyelet will encourage you to attempt and experiment with the more complex and challenging effects. The fourth section focuses on colourwork, with most of the designs drawing inspiration from traditional Scottish and Scandinavian patterns knitted using the Fair Isle technique, which uses design repeats and motifs in horizontal and vertical bands, and in small and large panels. Intarsia knitting is a similar technique, though patterns often involve larger blocks of colour and picture motifs.

The final section concentrates on edgings and trims. From simple yet decorative ribs to intricate lace borders, there is an almost endless variety of edgings. They offer a quick way of turning a plain knit garment into something supremely stylish.

Whether you’re a knitting novice who is picking up a pair of needles for the first time, or a seasoned professional with years of experience, you will find inspiration and technical know-how within these pages.

Word count: 60,000

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Jul 30, 2015
• ISBN: 9781910904220

Book preview

Tools and equipment

To master any skill, it is imperative to have a solid foundation in the techniques. This section provides useful information for knitting.

Knitting needles

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Cable needle

Knitting needles are used in pairs to produce a flat knitted fabric. They are pointed at one end to form the stitches and have a knob at the other to retain the stitches. They may be made in plastic, wood, steel or alloy and range in size from 2mm to 20mm in diameter. Needles are also made in different lengths that will comfortably hold the number of stitches required for each project. It is useful to have a range of sizes so that tension swatches can be knitted up and compared. Discard any needles that become bent. Points should be fairly sharp, as blunt needles reduce the speed and ease of working.

Circular and double-pointed needles are used to produce a tubular fabric or flat rounds. Many traditional fishermen’s sweaters are knitted in the round. Double-pointed needles are sold in sets of four or five. Circular needles consist of two needle points joined by a flexible length of plastic. The plastic varies in length. You can use the shorter lengths for knitting sleeves and neckbands and the longer lengths for larger pieces such as the bodies of sweaters.

Cable needles are short double-pointed needles with a kink in them that are used to hold the stitches of a cable to the back or front of the main body of knitting.

Other useful equipment

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Needle gauge

Needle gauges are punched with holes corresponding to the needle sizes. They are usually marked with both US and metric sizing, so you can easily check the size of any needle.

Stitch holders resemble large safety pins and are used to hold stitches while they are not being worked – for example, around a neckline when the neckband stitches will be picked up and worked after the back and front have been joined. As an alternative, thread a blunt-pointed sewing needle with a generous length of contrast-coloured yarn, thread it through the stitches to be held while they are still on the needle, then slip the stitches off the needle and knot both ends of the contrast yarn to secure the stitches.

Wool sewing needles or tapestry needles are used to sew completed pieces of knitting together. They are large, with a broad eye for easy threading and a blunt point that will slip between the knitted stitches without splitting and fraying the yarn. Do not use sharp-pointed sewing needles to sew up knitting.

A row counter is a cylinder with a numbered dial that is used to count the number of rows that have been knitted. Push it onto the needle and turn the dial at the end of each row.

A tape measure is essential for checking tension swatches and for measuring the length and width of completed knitting. For an accurate result, always smooth the knitting (without stretching) on a firm flat surface before measuring it.

A crochet hook is useful for picking up dropped stitches.

Knitting yarn

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Yarn is the term used for strands of spun fibre that are twisted together into a continuous length of the required thickness. Yarn can be of animal origin (wool, angora, mohair, silk, alpaca), of vegetable origin (cotton, linen), or man-made (nylon, acrylic, rayon). Knitting yarn may be made up from a combination of different fibres.

Each single strand of yarn is known as a ply. A number of plies are twisted together to form the yarn. The texture and characteristics of the yarn may be varied by the combination of fibres and by the way in which the yarn is spun. Wool and other natural fibres are often combined with man-made fibres to make a yarn that is more economical and hard-wearing. Wool can also be treated to make it machine-washable. The twist of the yarn is firm and smooth and knits up into a hard-wearing fabric. Loosely twisted yarn has a softer finish when knitted.

Buying yarn

Yarn is most commonly sold wound into balls of specific weight measured in grams or ounces. Some yarn, particularly very thick yarn, is sold in a coiled hank or skein that must be wound into a ball before you can begin knitting.

Yarn manufacturers wrap each ball with a paper band on which is printed information such as the weight of the yarn and its composition. It will give instructions for washing and ironing and will state the ideal range of needle sizes to be used with the yarn. The ball band also carries the shade number and dye lot number. It is important that you use yarn of the same dye lot for an entire project. Different dye lots vary subtly in shading; this may not be apparent when you are holding the two balls, but it will show as a variation in shade on the finished piece of knitting.

Always keep the ball band as a reference. The best way is to pin it to the tension swatch and keep them together with any leftover yarn and spare buttons or other trimmings. That way, you can always check the washing instructions and also have materials for repairs.

Starting off

Once you have mastered the basics of knitting, you can go on to develop your skills and start making more challenging projects.

Casting on

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1Make a slip knot 1m (39in) from the end of the yarn. Hold the needle in your right hand, with the ball end of the yarn over your index finger. Wind the loose end of the yarn around your left thumb from front to back.

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2Insert the point of the needle under the first strand of yarn on your thumb.

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3With your right index finger, take the ball end of the yarn over the point of the needle.

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4Pull a loop through to form the first stitch. Remove your left thumb from the yarn. Pull the loose end to secure the stitch. Repeat until all stitches have been cast on.

Knit stitch

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1Hold the needle with the cast-on stitches in your left hand, with the loose yarn at the back of the work. Insert the right-hand needle from left to right through the front of the first stitch on the left-hand needle.

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2Wind the yarn from left to right over the point of the right-hand needle.

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3Draw the yarn through the stitch, thus forming a new stitch on the right-hand needle.

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4Slip the original stitch off the left-hand needle, keeping the new stitch on the right-hand needle.

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5To knit a row, repeat steps 1 to 4 until all the stitches have been transferred from the left-hand needle to the right-hand needle. Turn the work, transferring the needle that holds the stitches to your left hand to work the next row.

Purl stitch

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1Hold the needle with the stitches in your left hand with the loose yarn at the front of the work. Insert the right-hand needle from right to left into the front of the first stitch on the left-hand needle.

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2Wind the yarn from right to left over the point of the right-hand needle.

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3Draw the yarn through the stitch, thus forming a new stitch on the right-hand needle.

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4Slip the original stitch off the left-hand needle, keeping the new stitch on the right-hand needle.

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5To purl a row, repeat steps 1 to 4 until all the stitches have been transferred from the left-hand needle to the right-hand needle. Turn the work, transferring the needle that holds the stitches into your left hand to work the next row.

Casting off

There is one simple, most commonly used method of securing stitches once you have finished a piece of knitting – casting off. The cast-off edge should always have the same ‘give’ or elasticity as the fabric and you should always cast off in the stitch pattern used for the main fabric unless the pattern directs otherwise.

Illustration

Knitwise

Knit two stitches. *Using the point of the left-hand needle, lift the first stitch on the right-hand needle over the second, then drop it off the needle. Knit the next stitch and repeat from * until all stitches have been worked off the left-hand needle and only one stitch remains on the right-hand needle. Cut the yarn (leaving enough to sew in the end), thread the end through the stitch, and then slip it off the needle. Draw the yarn up firmly to fasten off.

Illustration

Purlwise

Purl two stitches. *Using the point of the left-hand needle, lift the first stitch on the right-hand needle over the second and drop it off the needle. Purl the next stitch and repeat from * until all the stitches have been worked off the left-hand needle and only one stitch remains on the right-hand needle. Secure the last stitch as described for casting off knitwise.

Increasing

The simplest method of increasing one stitch is to work into the front and back of the same stitch.

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On a knit row

Knit into the front of the stitch to be increased into; then, before slipping it off the needle, place the right-hand needle behind the left-hand needle and knit again into the back of the same stitch. Slip the original stitch off the left-hand needle.

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On a purl row

Purl into the front of the stitch to be increased into; then, before slipping it off the needle, purl again into the back of the same stitch. Slip the original stitch off the left-hand needle.

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Tip

In this book, you will most often find that increases and decreases are used to create the lace and eyelet patterns. With lace stitches, it is commonplace for sets of increases and decreases to be paired together. This creates the open, ‘holey’ nature of the pattern while keeping the overall stitch count consistent.

Decreasing

The simplest method of decreasing one stitch is to work two stitches together.

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On a knit row

Insert the right-hand needle from left to right through two stitches instead of one, then knit them together as one stitch. This is called knit two together (k2tog).

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On a purl row

Insert the right-hand needle from right to left through two stitches instead of one, then purl them together as one stitch. This is called purl two together (p2tog).

Joining in a new colour on a knit row

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The Ploughed furrows design requires you to join yarn in the middle of a row

When working Fair Isle, it is better to join in a new colour at the beginning of a row, but in some cases, you may have to join in the middle of a row. This is how you join in a new colour mid-row on a knit row.

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1Lay the new colour (B) over the original colour (A). Twist the yarns over themselves and hold them in place.

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2Knit with the new colour (B). You can always go back and tighten the join after a couple of stitches.

Joining in a new colour on a purl row

This is how you join in a new colour mid-row on a purl row.

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1Lay the new colour (B) over the original colour (A). Twist the yarns over themselves and hold them in place.

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2Purl with the new colour (B).

Joining in a new colour in the middle of a row

When working in intarsia you will find yourself needing to join in a new colour in the middle of a row.

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1On a knit row, knit to the change in colour. Lay the new colour over the existing colour and between the two needles, with the tail to the left.

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2Bring the new colour under and then over the existing colour.

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3Knit the stitch with the new colour. Go back and pull gently on the tail to tighten up the first stitch in the new colour after you have knitted a couple more stitches.

Changing colours in a straight vertical line

Once you have joined in a new colour you may need to work for a number of rows, changing these colours on both the knit rows and purl rows. This is often confusingly referred to as ‘twisting’ the yarns but it is a link rather than a twist. It is a common mistake to over-twist the yarns at this point, with the result that the fabric will not lie flat.

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1On a knit row, knit to the change in colour. Bring the new colour up from under the old colour and drop the old colour so that the new colour is ready to work with.

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2On a purl row, knit to the change in colour. Bring the new colour from the left under the old colour and up to the top. Drop the old colour and continue with the new colour.

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Tip

When working blocks of colour in an intarsia pattern you may find it easiest to wind a small skein of yarn, called a bobbin, for each colour section, rather than working off a full ball of yarn. This makes the process less fiddly and is less likely to get your various yarns tangled.

Eliminating ends

If you are working a complex design it is always best to look for ways of eliminating ends so that you can cut down the amount of time that will be needed to sew them all in. Look for shapes that perhaps have an outline, as with a diamond motif.

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1Take a length of the yarn required to work the whole motif and fold it in half. On the centre stitch of the motif, loop the fold over the right-hand needle.

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2On the next row, take one end of the yarn to the right and the other to the left, linking the outline and background colours on each row. If the motif is very small and the background colour remains the same, it is best to carry the background colour across the back of the motif, weaving it in if necessary.

How to read charts

Charts are featured in many of the instructions for the cable and aran stitches (see here) and for the colourwork designs (see here).

Charts are read exactly as the knitting is worked – from the bottom to the top. After the last row at the top has been worked, repeat the sequence from row 1 if required.

Each symbol represents an instruction. Symbols have been designed to resemble the actual appearance of the knitting. This is more difficult to do with multicolour slip-stitch patterns, which have to be knitted before the mosaic effects become obvious.

Before starting to knit, look up all the symbols on your chosen chart (see here for a key to the stitch diagrams) so that you are familiar with the techniques involved. These may be shown with the pattern as a special abbreviation. The most common abbreviations that are not shown as special abbreviations are listed here. Make sure that you understand the difference between working similar symbols on a right-side and on a wrong-side row.

Each square represents a stitch and each horizontal line represents a row. Place a ruler above the line you are working and work the symbols one by one. If you are new to reading charts, try comparing the charted instructions with the written ones.

For knitters who wish to follow the written directions, it is still a good idea to look at the chart (where one is available) before starting, to see what the repeat looks like and how the pattern has been balanced.

Right-side and wrong-side rows

‘Right-side rows’ are where the right side of the fabric is facing you when you work; ‘wrong-side rows’ are where the wrong side is facing you when you work. Row numbers are shown at the side of the charts at the beginning of the row. Right-side rows are always read from right to left. Wrong-side rows are always read from left to right.

Symbols on charts are shown as they appear from the right side of the work. Therefore, a horizontal dash stands for a purl ‘bump’ on the right side, regardless of whether it was achieved by purling on a right-side row or by knitting on a wrong-side row. To make things clearer, symbols on right-side rows are slightly darker than those on wrong-side rows.

Pattern repeats and multiples

The ‘multiple’ or repeat of the pattern is given with each set of instructions – for example, ‘multiple of 7 + 4’. This means you can cast on any number of stitches that is a multiple of 7, plus 4 balancing stitches – for instance, 14 + 4, 21 + 4, 28 + 4, and so on.

In written instructions, the 7 stitches are shown in parentheses or follow an asterisk *. These stitches are repeated across the row the required number of times. In charted instructions, the pattern repeat is contained between heavier vertical lines. The extra stitches not included in the pattern repeat are there to ‘balance’ the row or make it symmetrical and are only worked once.

Some patterns require a foundation row that is worked once before commencing the pattern but does not form part of the repeat. On charts, this row is marked by a letter ‘F’ and is separated from the pattern repeat by a heavier horizontal line.

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Advice on knitting lace

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Lace knitting can be used in many different ways – as an allover pattern, a horizontal or vertical panel, or as single or random motifs. Lace stitch patterns are most effective when worked in plain yarns, as fluffy or textured yarns do not show the detail of the pattern. Finer yarns are also more suitable than bulky yarns, as they give the stitch a more delicate appearance. Lace knitting is especially popular for baby garments such as heirloom shawls and christening blankets.

Lace patterns are produced by using the eyelet method of increasing. These increases are usually worked in conjunction with decreases, so that the number of stitches remains constant at the end of each row. However, some of the most beautiful lace effects are achieved by increasing stitches on one or more rows and decreasing the extra stitches on subsequent rows. Circular shawls are produced by continually increasing stitches on every round (or every alternate round), while working the increases into the lace pattern.

The eyelet method of increasing is used in lace patterns to form a hole. The exact way that the yarn is taken over the needle depends on the stitches at either side of the eyelet – whether they are knitted, purled or a combination of both. They are then accompanied by one of the decrease methods, depending on whether the slant is to be towards the left or the right.

Advice on knitting edgings

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If an edging is worked lengthways then the instruction at the start of the pattern will say, for example, ‘Worked lengthways over 10 sts’. This means that you cast on 10 stitches to work the first row. Once you have worked all the pattern rows, you simply repeat them until the edging is the required length.

The instructions may tell you to finish the final repeat on a particular row. This is usually so that if the ends of the knitted edging are joined to form a circle, the pattern will run as evenly as possible across the join. If a particular row is not given, end the last repeat with the last pattern row.

Depending on the pattern, the number of stitches on the needle may vary on rows. When the number changes, a stitch count is given in brackets at the end of the row. This count includes all loops on the needle, whether they are full stitches or yarnovers. If no stitch count is given then the number of stitches has not changed since the last count. So, a lengthways pattern with no stitch counts at all has the same number of stitches on every row as originally cast on.

Some patterns need a foundation row that does not form part of the repeat. These are marked as such in the patterns.

Edgings that are worked from the top down or bottom up have different instructions. The ‘multiple’ or repeat of the pattern is given at the start – for example, ‘Starts with multiple of 7 sts + 4 sts’. This means you can cast on any number of stitches that is a multiple of 7, plus 4 balancing stitches – for instance, 14 + 4, 21 + 4, 28 + 4, and so on. These patterns do not have stitch counts at the ends of the rows, so you will need to follow the increases and decreases carefully to keep the pattern correct.

The number of times the pattern rows need to be repeated to make the edging shown in the swatch will be specified, though on many of the patterns you could work the repeat more often to create a deeper edging if required.

If you are going to work a bottom-up edging and then continue knitting the project, you need to make sure that the number of stitches the edging finishes with – for example, ‘Ends with multiple of 6 sts + 2 sts’ – can be multiplied to make the correct number of stitches for the first row of the project. So, in this example, the first row of the project needs to be any multiple of 6 stitches, plus 2 balancing stitches.

For a top-down edging worked on the lower edge of a project, check the multiple the edging starts with. Edging patterns won’t work without the correct multiple, so you will usually need to adjust the number of project stitches.

However, if the number of project stitches is just one or two more than is needed for the edging, then you can add one or two selvedge stitches to the end of the edging pattern, but remember they are there and don’t try to work them into the pattern. Make careful notes of any changes and consider how they might affect other areas of the project. Of course, both bottom-up and top-down edgings can be worked as strips and sewn on afterwards if preferred.

Attaching edgings

Lengthways edgings need to be sewn to the finished project. Usually it is best to use a tapestry needle and matching yarn and whip stitch the top edge of the edging to the knitted fabric. To attach an edging to cloth fabric, use a sewing needle and matching sewing thread.

Key to stitch diagrams

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C2B (CROSS 2 BACK)

Slip next st onto cable needle and hold at back of work, knit next st from left-hand needle, then knit st from cable needle.

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C2BW (CROSS 2 BACK ON WRONG SIDE)

Slip next st onto cable needle and hold at back (right side) of work, purl next st from left-hand needle, then purl st from cable needle.

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C2F (CROSS 2 FRONT)

Slip next st onto cable needle and hold at front of work, knit next st from left-hand needle, then knit st from cable needle.

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C2FW (CROSS 2 FRONT ON WRONG SIDE)

Slip next st onto cable needle and hold at front (wrong side) of work, purl next st from left-hand needle, then purl st from cable needle.

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C3B (CABLE 3 BACK)

Slip next st onto cable needle and hold at back of work, knit next 2 sts from left-hand needle, then knit st from cable needle.

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C3F (CABLE 3 FRONT)

Slip next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold at front of work, knit next st from left-hand needle, then knit 2 sts from cable needle.

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C3L (CABLE 3 LEFT)

Slip next st onto cable needle and hold at front of work, knit next 2 sts from left-hand needle, then knit st from cable needle.

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C3R (CABLE 3 RIGHT)

Slip next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold at back of work, knit next st from left-hand needle, then knit 2 sts from cable needle.

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C4B (CABLE 4 BACK)

Slip next 2 sts onto cable needle and hold at back of work, knit next 2 sts from left-hand needle, then knit 2 sts from cable needle.

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C4F (CABLE 4 FRONT)

Slip next